ask dr. read      Idaho Statesman columns      new articles      biography      formal resume      philosophy      services offered      contact dr. read      psychology links      other links      forms      pictures		Parenting Style Linked to Tobacco Use by James M. Read, Ph.D. Want to reduce the chances that your child will use tobacco? Start by not using it yourself, of course. But there's another factor to consider -- your parenting style in general. Harsh or inconsistent parenting has been found to have a direct link to tobacco use among adolescent boys. These are the findings of a study by several researchers at Iowa State University. The common-sense-obvious ho-hum no-big-deal (why do they pay for this kind of research?) largest single risk factor in predicting young male adolescent tobacco use was found to be association with tobacco-using agemates. But beyond this conventional wisdom further analysis of the data showed that the likelihood of associating with such peers is strongly affected by how nurturing and involved the parents are. Parents whose style is more punitive and inconsistent were found to have boys who were more likely to spend time with peers who smoke or chew. And that makes them more likely to use tobacco themselves. More skillful moms and dads, who use more effective parenting styles reduced the likelihood that their children would associate with tobacco using peers, and thus also reduced the chances that their kids would use tobacco. The best parenting is involved and supportive and consistent. It's not harshly punitive at times and unpredictably laissez-faire at other times. I guess that's kind of common sense too, but not always practiced. Of course it should come as no surprise to anyone that harsh and inconsistent discipline doesn't work very well. This kind of parenting doesn't merely up the risk of tobacco use. It does lots more too. It puts kids raised in such an environment at risk for lots of other problems too. To do their best in school, and stay out of trouble in general kids need consistent nurturing. Clear limits and reasonable consequences. Follow-through and follow-up. Parents who care enough to say "no" as well as "I love you." Frequently and in many different ways. Consistently. There's lots more at stake than just cardiopulmonary health. James M. Read, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist  Originally published in The Idaho Stateman newspaper (Boise, Idaho) March 12, 1994 For more information, or to contact the author (that's me!), write to James M. Read, Ph.D., jread@jread.com